Author: FHadmin

The Tragedy of The First Wives Club

Posted on by FHadmin

It seems it would be much easier to be the first wife.  You are typically younger, you can set expectations, you don’t have to mother children that are your husbands  (i.ie. avoid the “You are not my mother!”), and you don’t have the image of an earlier wife to get in the way of your relationship.  However, in the past, being in the First Wives’ Club often meant that tragedy would strike.

Members of the Club

This article takes a look at eight of the members of the First Wives’ Club whose marriage ended and whose spouse went on to marry again.

Note: ♥ indicates a direct ancestor of myself or my husband.  In some cases, however, if tragedy hadn’t struck the first wife, we would not be here since we descend from a subsequent wife.

Matilda (White) Jury ♥

Married

John Charles Jury Sr.

November 24, 1858

Oxford, Ontario, Canada

Children

Walter Abraham. Wilburt Henry, John Charles Jr., Matilda E.

The Tragedy

Died at age 30, cause unknown.  The children were all under age 10.  The family immigrated to the United States.  It was eight years before  John remarried to Harriett Warner. His mother and sister helped raise his children.  He had 3 more children with his second wife.

Emma (Ackermann) Klinefelter ♥

Married

Judge Sharpless Klinefelter

October 25, 1886

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Children

Blanche Mabel, Daniel✝

The Tragedy

Died at age 25. Emma died in childbirth with her son Daniel.  Daniel also died.  Judge traveled as a part of his work as a builder.  Blanche was raised primarily by his parents.  Eight years later, he married Lois Betha Campbell.  They had two daughters and then divorced.  He married a third time to Martha Edwards.  Judge outlived all of his wives.

Eleanor (East) Storms ♥

Married

Conrad Storms Jr.

March 14, 1814

Garrad County, Kentucky

Children

Lucy Ann, James M., Joseph E., Elizabeth, Martha Ellen

The Tragedy

Died at age 30, Eleanor died of complications of childbirth with Martha.  Martha survived.  It seems likely, however, that she had lost at least one or two children before as there are seven years between the birth of two of her children.

Lulu (Guthrie) Helm

Married

Philip (Jacob) Helm

June 9, 1927

Sidney, Iowa

Children

Edward William, Rosa Maria

The Tragedy

Died at age 26. Lulu died of tuberculosis.  Even before she died, she was away from the family multiple times as she struggled with mental health.  Jake was over 50 when he remarried to Minnie Louisa Carolina Kutzner♥, who was nearly twenty years his junior.  They had three children. This tragedy allowed for the birth of my mother-in-law with Jake’s second wife.

Sarah Ellen “Sadie Ella” (Ashby) Thomas ♥

Sadie Ella Ashby

Married

James William “Will” Thomas

May 30, 1902

Fort Scott, Kansas

Children

Dessie May, Delbert Roy, Oren Glenn, Leland/Leonard William, Verda Leola, Theo Melvin “Bud”

The Tragedy

Died at age 34, Sadie Ella died from childbirth complicated by hemorrhaging and myocarditis. She lost three children at the time of birth or shortly after, including a son that died two days before she did. Will did not remarry until their children were grown.  He did not have any children with his second wife, Belle (Tremain) Woodard.

Della M. (Conner) Pellett ♥ 

 

Henry & Della (Conner) Pellett

Married

Henry Pellett, Sr.

October 12, 1893

Fort Scott, Kansas

Children

Clifford Claney, Nina May✝, Henry B. Jr., Aseneth “Senith”

The Tragedy

Died at age 33.  Della died after a short-illness.  her sister-in-law (Henry’s broth Seth’s wife Emma [Miller] Pellett) died within hours of Della’s passing. Della had already lost her daughter Nina before her death.  Henry remarried to Elizabeth Maxwell.  They divorced after a very short marriage.  Henry then married Emma Jones.  They had one son.

 Ida Jane (Welch) Van Allen

Married

John (Warren) Van Allen

July 18, 1882

Grant County, Wisconsin

Children

Arthur Wesley, Leon Leslie, John E., Alice, Charles Roe, Kathryn (Carrie), Floyd

The Tragedy

Died at age 37 after an illness of eight months. With his oldest daughter being only ten years old, Grinda Josephine Hanson ♥ came to work for Warren caring for his home.  Within a few months, they married despite Grinda being 25 years his junior and younger than his oldest sons.  They had seven children together.

Elizabeth (Edgerton) Peelle ♥

Married

Robert Peelle IV

January 29, 1728

Sidney, Iowa

Children

Robert, Passco, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah

The Tragedy

Died at age 37.  Robert remarried the following year to Charity Dickenson ♥. This one is complicated as I descend from both of his wives. Elizabeth’s son Passco and Charity’s daughter Judith have descendants that married.  So, it is both a tragedy and a blessing from the perspective of people in my family line.

Ernstine (Stahlhert) Kutzner

Ernstine with her son after she married a second time

Married

Herman Kutzner

July 5, 1877

Children

Wilhelmina “Minnie”, Caroline Mary “Maria”

The Tragedy

Ernstine did not die young.  Instead, Herman and Ernstine divorced sometime between 1880 and 1882.  She remarried in 1883 to August Meyer. They had four children.  Herman remarried in 1885 to Wilhelmina “Minnie” Schmidt ♥.  They had 10 children, but 4 died young. The sad part of this story is that although some of the half-siblings knew each other, the connection seems to have stopped there.  Thus, my mother-in-law did not even know that she had half-aunts or half-cousins.

Sarah C. Dufer

Married

Lemuel Lawrence McCracken

September 23, 1854

Lee County, Iowa

Children

Delormah/Delarma”Del” (Lawrence)

The Tragedy

Sarah, it is assumed, died during or soon after giving birth to their son as Lemuel remarried to Louisiana (Matteer) Badgley ♥ a few months after she gave birth.  Sarah would have only been 21 or 22 at the time. Lemuel had six children with Louisiana.  After Louisiana died, he married Melissa (Eveline) (Donley) McKown Rhodes.

Lemuel and Louisiana: A Journey of Discoveries

Posted on by FHadmin

 

My McCracken lineage has always been something of a mystery.  My great-great grandfather Lemuel Lawrence McCracken was so hard to trace that I joked – much to my aunts’ displeasure –  that he must have been a horse thief.  And, my great-great grandmother McCracken seemingly had no records either.  Through a journey of discoveries over the past 30 years, I have discovered a bit about who they were.

The Family Stories

When I began this search, I had very little actual data beyond information about Lemuel and Louisiana’s children:  Uncle Frank, Uncle Bill, Minnie, Ida, Great-grandpa Andrew, and Henry (he was an uncle, but I never heard him referred to in that manner).  At least part of Lemuel and Louisiana’s children were said to have been born in Lee County, Iowa.  And, it was known that his son Henry was raised by a family named Dudley.  There was also a story about the baby crying when “they” tried to take one of the little ones home.  So, they left the child.  The alternate version was that they were leaving the child and the child cried when they left.  Yet, most of this told us little about Lemuel and Louisiana.

Additionally, Aunt O’Ella had found the 1875 Kansas Census which listed everyone by their initials.  It included a baby girl F.E. that none of the family knew about.

Louisiana

With regard to Louisiana, we were told her maiden name was Johnson, which was later found false.  When she was unwell, the family headed toward other family.  Dad thought they were going to Peoria, Illinois.  Louisiana was said to have died along the way and the assumption was that she probably was buried along a trail somewhere. 

Lemuel

The little known about Lemuel included that he supposedly knew or knew of the Gallea family.  As such, the family spent their first night in Kansas at the Gallea property south of Cato.  Lemuel was believed to have been a “Campbellite” (follower of the teachings of Thomas and Alexander Campbell).  He was sent to Osawatomie to the state hospital late in life because he became too hard to handle. 

Additionally, he was married again after Louisiana died.  A single scratched photo of him and his subsequent wife existed in the family photos.  A statement of “No relation, thank God” was written on the back with reference to his wife.  It seems that the person who wrote that either did not think the woman was very becoming or did not care for the woman.  I do not know who wrote those unkind words, but they certainly didn’t hold back on their opinion.

A lot of debate swirled around about where Lemuel was born and the history of the family.  Everyone seemed to have heard a different story or at least believed a different story.  I heard he was most likely born in Pennsylvania, in the old country, and even on the ocean.  With regard to the history of the McCracken family the debate centered around if they moved to the U.S.A. going from Scotland to Ireland to the U.S.A. or going from Ireland to Scotland to the U.S.A.

However, not a single thing was known about where Lemuel or Louisiana were born, their siblings, their parents, or where their families actually originated.

After 30 Years

After 30 years of research, Louisiana’s parents and siblings have been identified, Lemuel’s ancestors are partially known, and their life together is reasonably well understood.  Getting to the knowns of today has been a journey of discoveries.  Some of the family information has been proven true and some false.  Other pieces remain open since no information has been discovered to prove them true or false. Now, for Lemuel and Louisiana’s story . . .  AND . . . The discoveries that led to their story.

Lemuel the First 20 Years

Lemuel was born April 12, 1831 likely in Ohio, but possibly in Pennsylvania.  Autosomal DNA indicates he descends from the McCracken and Peppard families and Y-DNA shows a match to Peppard, he matches via a Y-DNA test to a Peppard.  The implication is that his mother was a McCracken and his father was a Peppard.

His Father

Based on DNA, his father was one of the sons of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Gilmore) Peppard of Wayne County, Ohio or Jonathan himself.  Those sons include: William, Issac, John, Francis, and David.  I tend to lean toward the young unmarried sons  (Francis and David) as the most likely father.  However, it is important to note that John Peppard had a son die in Lee County, Iowa with the military and three other sons lived in Kansas.  Is this relevant?

His Mother

It is assumed that his parents were never married and that he lived with his mother or her relatives since he used the name McCracken as an adult.  His mother is a daughter or granddaughter of James and Rachel (Kelly) McCracken, who lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Columbiana and later Wayne counties in Ohio.

 James and Rachel had multiple daughters that appear to be unmarried when Lemuel was born and could be Lemuel’s mother, including Susan, Rachel, and Nessie.  They are also said to have had a daughter Tabitha that I have never found.  In addition, his son Thomas, who died prior to the time of Lemuel’s birth, appears to have had daughters that were old enough to have been Lemuel’s mother.  Three women identified as possible daughters of Thomas include Rachel, Julia, and Mary/Maria.

The census records prior to 1850 only show the head of the household.  Thus, his name would not show up in the 1840 census.  However, I searched for a McCracken household in Ohio with a male that was in the same age group as Lemeul and who was unaccountated for given the known children in the family. The only McCracken household in the state of Ohio in 1840 that meets these requirements is the household of Nathaniel McCracken.  His daughters, however, couldn’t be Lemuel’s mother as they were not old enough.  However, one of the strongest DNA matches is one of his descendants.

Lemuel does not show up in the 1850 census.  He was somehow missed or his name was so badly written that it has been impossible to find him. 

 

 

 

Remaining Mysteries:

  • Exact Location of Lemuel’s birth
    • Ohio? Pennsylvania?
  • Lemuel’s parent’s names?
  • Did Lemuel have any siblings – even half-siblings?
    • Eveline’s family believed that he had siblings or at least half-siblings and that they were in Kansas. 
  • Research of Micheal Peppard to verify that he could not be the descendant of a McCracken needs to be done for full verification.
  • Any connection to John McCracken – the twin? (Read the story near the end)
  • A new Y-DNA match that is to neither the McCracken or Peppard families needs to be investigated

Related Discoveries

  • Autosomal DNA shows DNA matches to McCracken and Peppard.
    • DNA matches to over 100  descendants of this Peppard family
    • DNA matches to ~70 descendants of this McCracken family
    • DNA matches to descendants of Rachel and Julia
  • Y-DNA shows a match to Michael Peppard. Hence, it appears his father was a Peppard, not his mother.
  • Will of James McCracken
  • Will of Thomas McCracken lists women making purchases that I believe may be daughters

Important Note

Numerous people believe that a John McCracken of Pennsylvania is Lemuel’s father.  The John McCrackens that have shown up in trees and on the FamilySearch Tree are NOT Lemuel’s father.  The confusion seems to have arisen because the man had a son Samuel about the same age as Lemuel who later moved to Kansas.  DNA and a close look at the records show this man is NOT his father!

Lemuel’s First Marriage

Lemuel arrived in Lee County, Iowa around 1850 or soon after.  Initially, he was listed in records alone and without anyone living nearby that appears to be related to him.  It is as if he just headed west on his own.  Some of James and Rachel (Kelly) McCracken’s descendants moved to Illinois and weren’t all the distant from Lee County.  It makes one wonder if he moved west with them and then went just a bit further, crossing the Mississippi River.

On September 23, 1854, he married Sarah Dufer, who was the daughter of Hiram and Caroline (Gridley) Dufer.   

On April 30, 1858, Sarah gave birth to a son Delormah/Delarma “Del” Lawrence McCracken (spelling varies from record to record).  Some records refer to him as Del, but most records during his adult years refer to him Lawrence.  Lawrence seems to age faster than the years actually pass with later records putting his birth year at an earlier date.  The reason for this is thought to be the fact that he was younger than his wife Nancy Judy and the age changed for convenience and image.  So, no he wasn’t born in 1853 as some people believe. 

Proof of Lawrence, as he was generally called as an adult, being a son of Lemuel was found not only in the records, but also in DNA of his descendants. 

It is assumed that Sarah died in 1858, but no record of her death has been found. 

Remaining Mysteries:

  •  Where did the name Delormah/Delarma come from?
  • What happened to Sarah?
  • Why did Lemuel come to Lee County, Iowa?

Related Discoveries

  • Minnie (McCracken) Munroe’s probate papers listed Lawrence McCracken who was unknown to the family.  That led to the discovery of Lemuel’s first marriage.
  • About 20 DNA matches to Lawrence’s descendants.

Lemuel And Louisiana

Lemuel met Louisiana Badgley prior to 1859, as they married January 17, 1859.  It was a second marriage for both of them.  It is likely Louisiana needed a husband to support her and Lemuel needed a wife to help care for his young son and his household.

Louisiana’s First Marriage

Louisiana, who was the daugther of Mathias and Mary (Rogers) Matteer, had married James Badgley on May 20, 1846 in Watertown, Washington County, Ohio.  She was only 16 and her father had to sign for her marriage, which was a key factor in determining that her maiden name was Matteer and not Johnson. 

Mary Ann had been born 9 months after Louisiana married James.  Two years later, Louisiana had given birth to a son Louis W. Badgley.  It is unknown if James died in Ohio, in Iowa, or somewhere in between.  However, it is likely that what brought Louisiana to Lee County, Iowa was that her father, his second wife Ann (Elizabeth) (Solomon) Westfall, and most of her siblings had moved to Lee County in the early 1850s.

Thus, they started their marriage the parents of three children:  Lemuel’s son Delormah and Louisiana’s children: Mary Ann and Lewis/Louis.

A Growing Family

By early 1860, the family had grown with the birth of a son Lemuel Franklin/Francis.  This hasn’t been 100% settled, but it was some form of the name Frank, which was the name he went by as an adult.

1860 Census

The only correct names the 1860 census had were the ones that I did not know anything about at the time.  Assuming Lemuel was Samuel was a common error and not too surprising.  However, someone must have had a strong accent since someone saying,  “Louisiana” ended up being recorded as “Rosannah.”   And, this wasn’t the only record to show Louisiana’s name as Rosannah.

At the time, they lived in Jefferson Township in Lee County, Iowa near the Montrose post office.  Lemuel owned no real estate, but he had $350 in personal items.  Since Lemuel was a farmer, his personal items probably consisted of furnishings, animals, tools, and a wagon.  Mr. Luther Vanbergler (likely Van Berkalow) of Ohio, a day laborer, also lived with them.  However, no familial connection has been found.

Civil War

At the end of October 1864, Lemuel was called to serve in the Civil War.  Whether or not he served is unknown.  However, it seems unlikely since he would have had several children at the time and none were old enough to manage the farm.

1870 Census

By 1870, the family was in Van Buren Township in Lee County, Iowa near the Warren post office.  Just two years earlier, they had been near the Croton post office.  This may have been in the same area along the Iowa-Missouri border.  However, Warren is such a ghost town that isn’t even in the list of ghost towns in the area.

The three oldest from their prior marriages were no longer in the household.  Mary Ann had married John Macklin, who was 12 years her senior and who had fought in the Civil War.  By this time, they had moved to Adams County, Illinois near Quincy.  Eleven of their descendants have been confirmed via DNA.

Delormah, who was only 12, was living with and working for a farmer nearby.  And, Lewis was nowhere to be found.  Since Lewis never shows up in any documents, it is believed he likely died sometime during this 10-year span.  However, it is possible that he went to live with another family.  Still, no DNA matches have been identified that match through him.

 

 

Remaining Mysteries:

  •  What was the source of the maiden name Johnson? 
    • Did it come from the fact that Lemuel’s son William T. McCracken’s first wife Louretta Johnston was supposed to be a cousin of Louisiana?
    • Was Louretta really a cousin to Louisiana?
  • Is Lemuel F’s middle name Franklin or Francis?
  • Did Lemuel serve in the Civil War?
  • What happened to Lewis?
  • Is Louisiana’s name Louisiana or Louisanna?

Related Discoveries

  • 1860 Census listed the family as: Samuel, Rosannah, Mary, Lewis, Delormah, and Samuel McCracker. Yes, with a “r” on the end.
  • Minnie (McCracken) Munroe’s probate papers listed Mabel Hanson, Eleanor Kealen, Addie Brown, Martha Boswell,  Bertha Neal, John Macklin, Lester Macklin, Margaret Armstrong, Mary Macklin, William Macklin, Otis Macklin, and Anna Macklin who were unknown to the family.  That led to the discovery of Louisiana’s first marriage.
    • Lewis/Louis was not listed in the probate papers, which gives reason to believe he died before adulthood.
  • 1870 Census lists Sam, Samuel and Billie for Lemuel, Lemuel F., and Ida Belle.
  • A researcher claimed Louisiana’s name was Mattser.  In proving that wasn’t true, I discovered it was Matteer.
William Thomas “Bill” McCracken and his first wife Louretta Johnston, who died in childbirth

Off to Kansas

In 1873, Lemuel, Louisiana, and the children that they had together: Lemuel Franklin, William Thomas, Andrew Johnson, Ida Belle, and Joseph Henry moved to Crawford County, Kansas. Lemuel’s son Delormah, who was only 15, stayed behind in Iowa.  It is unclear why he did not join the family.  Having him come along would have been one more mouth to feed.  However, he was the oldest son and could have definitely helped with travel and with farming.

It is unknown exactly why the family moved to Kansas.  However, at the time they moved, Louisiana’s brother Charles was already living in Kansas.  He first moved to Allen County before moving to Howard County.  That area later became Chautauqua County where Lemuel moved in the 1890s.  It is unclear where he was in 1873 as he was in Howard County in 1872 and in Scott Township in Bourbon County in 1875. 

It is assumed that he was still in Howard County when they arrived in Kansas as it was told that Lemuel and family spent their first night in Kansas with the Gallea family (who Lemuel knew/knew of).  This property was located just south of Cato, which was on the Bourbon-Crawford County line.

Life In Crawford County

Lemuel and Louisiana’s  last child, Francis E.  was born in Kansas in 1874.  She was likely named after Louisiana’s brother Francis, who died shortly before she was born.  Sometime after 1880, her name was changed to Minnie Alameda.  Why it was changed is unknown. 

In 1875, Lemuel was selected as an alternate to attend the “Reform” Convention representing Sherman Township in Crawford County.  The party was short-lived and no indications have arisen of Lemuel’s political affiliation after that date.

During the family’s time in  Crawford County, Lemuel farmed.  And, in 1877, he made a portion of his income threshing with L.R. Church for other people.

Remaining Mysteries:

  • Why did Delormah remain in Iowa?
  • How did Lemuel come to know of the Gallea family?
  • Why did Francis’ name change?
    • What was her original middle name?
  • Henry, who used the name Joseph. Henry is listed in the 1875 census as R.H. or B.H.  Is this an error or another name change?

Related Discoveries

  • The name Francis was listed in in 1875 Kansas census and the 1880 federal census

Louisiana Was Ailing

In 1878 or 1879, Louisiana was ailing and the family supposedly headed to where family lived.  It is unclear whether they made it to their destination or whether they had to stop due to Louisiana’s deteriorating health.  They ended up in Bates County, Missouri, which was north of Crawford County and just on the other side of the Kansas-Missouri state line.

McCracken and Badgley families were living in the county at the time they arrived.  The McCracken families do not appear to have been related to Lemuel and they lived in another part of the county.  However, the Badgley families had property in the portion of the county where Lemuel lived.  It is not yet known if they were related to Louisiana’s first husband or not.

Louisiana’s Death

In August 1879, Louisiana died in Bates County, Missouri and is buried at Morris Cemetery, which is the creepiest cemetery that I have ever visited besides the one at the state hospital where Lemuel is buried.  Morris Cemetery is at the end of a road that is about 3/4 of a mile long.  There are no houses along the road except one right across from the cemetery.  It is a beautiful location.  However, someone could kill you there and no one would ever know.

Still in Bates County

After Louisiana died, Lemuel stayed in Bates County.  Apparently, not all his friends and family knew he had moved given that he had a letter waiting for him in Crawford County, Kansas in March of 1880.

In 1880, he is living in Mt. Pleasant Township in Bates County Missouri.  His four youngest  children are with him.  It is unclear where Delormah, Lemuel F. and William T. were at this time as they have not been found in the 1880 census records for any state.

In 1881, Lemuel paid taxes on what a property in Mt. Pleasant Township.  It was in Section 30 Township 40 Range 31.  However, it had an unusual description.  It is believed that it is an area carved out by the river.  It is unclear whether he owned this property or rented it.  Records of paying tax on the property exist, but indications also exist that he may not have been the owner.  See map in next section for location.

Remaining Mysteries:

  • Where was the family heading?
  • Why did they stop in Bates County?
    • Did Louisiana die and they just stayed?
    • Were they related to the McCrackens there?
    • Were the Badgleys there related to Lousiana’s first husband?
  • Where were Delormah, Lemuel F., and William T. in 1880?
  • Were Lemuel F. and William T. with the family when they left Kansas?

Related Discoveries

  • A book at the Old Fort Genealogy just happened to have Louisiana’s burial location in it.  This was prior to Find-A-Grave and other sites.
  • Old tax records at a museum in Bates County instead of at the County Courthouse

Another Wife

In the spring of 1881, Lemuel married Melissa (Eveline) Donley McKown Rhodes.  Eveline had  two prior marriages and had children from each prior marriage.  Her children were Laura Luella “Ella” McKown, Felix Henry McKown, and Thomas Anthony Rhodes.

Location of Eveline’s Children

It is unknown where Eveline’s children lived.  Thomas was just a baby.  So, it seems likely that he lived with them.  Of course, I always assumed that the baby in the story the family told about crying  when they left or because they didn’t want to leave someone was Francis/Minnie as the youngest of Lemuel’s children.  However, it could have also been Thomas.

Felix was 10 and Ella was 12.  They had both been with Eveline in 1880.  However, they may or may not have lived with them. 

Location of Lemuel’s Children

It is unclear which ones of Lemuel and Eveline’s children lived with them.  However,  Louisiana’s daughter Mary Ann (Badgley) Macklin was 34 and was living with her husband and children in Adams County, Illinois at this time.  Lemuel’s son Delormah married in Lee County, Iowa that same year.  No evidence has been found that either Mary Ann or Delormah, or Lawrence as he was called as an adult, ever came to Kansas or Missouri.

There are no details on Lemuel F., who was known as Uncle Frank until 1886 when he is found in Adams County, Illinois.  He appears to reside there for the remainder of his life.

William T. or Uncle Bill as he was known moved with Lem and Louisiana to Kansas, but is unknown if he left Kansas with them or not.  He is next found in 1886 in Crawford County,

Kids In Bates County

Andrew Johnson “Andy” moved with Lemuel to Bates County, Missouri.  He was with Lemuel in 1880.  However, it is unknown where he was between 1880 and 1892, when he married in Crawford County, Kansas.  His obituary says he grew up in Crawford County, but I know he was in Bates County at least for a period of time.  He was very close to Uncle Bill and it seems likely they might have spent at least part of those years together.

Ida Belle moved with the family to Bates County, Missouri.  I am not sure on the location of her marriage in 1888; however, she had a child in Illinois in 1890 and was in Adams County, Illinois in 1900.  Although I have no evidence, I think it may be likely that she moved to where Mary lived when Lemuel and Eveline married.

I am not sure the exact year that Joseph (Henry) went to live with the Dudley family, but he was with them in Butler County, Kansas in 1885. 

It also seems that Francis/Minnie may have went to live elsewhere, possibly with her half-sister Mary, who was old enough to be her mother.  She definitely lived in that area as an adult.

Children of Lemuel and Eveline

There are no known children of Lemuel and Eveline; however, I heard a story from another researcher that they might have had a child that died.  The story is feasible since Eveline was not yet 35 when they married.  Additionally, records show that Eveline gave birth to six children.  However, only three were living.  It is possible that she lost three children with her first husband, but I haven’t uncovered specifics to prove this true or false.

The Missing Years

Very little is known about Lemuel and Eveline’s time in Bates County, Missouri.  It isn’t even known if the first 12 years of their marriage was all spent in Bates County.  One article indicated that they may have lived south of Nevada, MO for a time; however, they were known to be in Bates County in 1884, 1885, and 1890.  In addition, October 17, 1885, they purchased the west half of the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 32 in Township 40 and range 31.

The property was purchased for $450 from J.C. and Anna Lucas.  Interestingly, Lemuel’s name was listed as the purchaser.  However, in 1893, when they sold the property, both Lemuel and Eveline’s names were listed as the sellers.  This may have been because of a bank note on the property, which could have been in both names.

They sold the property to James Frazier on February 17, 1893 for $550.  It was subject to a trust deed for $240 to Missouri State Bank, which the purchaser agreed to assume and pay.  Lemuel signed the warranty deed with his mark.  However, Eveline apparently could write and signed her own name.

 

 

 

Andrew McCracken
Minnie and Ida McCracken

Remaining Mysteries:

  •  Which children lived with Lemuel and Eveline?
    • If they didn’t, where were they?
    • Was Francis/Minnie sent to live with Mary?
  • Did Lemuel and Eveline have any children?
    • If so, what happened to them?
  • Did Lemuel’s children know Eveline’s children?
    • If so, did they keep in touch?
  • When did Eveline’s husband Lewis Calvin McKown die?
  • What happened to Eveline’s husband William A. Rhodes?  I found a man that matches what little is known about him in the Kansas City area. 
    • Is that him?
    • Did he die?
    • Were they even married?

Related Discoveries

  • An entire host of records related to wife #3
  • A tale of buried treasure that touches upon Eveline’s family
Bates County, Missouri Map

Green – Lemuel owned or lived here

Blue – Property of Badgley families

Chautauqua County

In 1893, Lemuel went to Chautauqua County, Kansas in preparation for a move to that location.  While visiting the area, he visited with an old friend Mr. Robinson, whose wife was from the Porcupile family.  It is unknown why they chose to move to Chautauqua County.  Louisiana’s brother had lived in the area at one time, they knew the Porcupile family that lived in the area, and Louisana’s niece was in the area.  However, it is unclear if any of these drove Lemuel and Evaline to move to the area or not.

Lemuel and Eveline purchased the east half of the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 10 of Township 34 (Summit Township) Range 10 east of the 6th principal meridian from Albert Straight.  They paid $200 for the 20 acre property.

The January after they moved, an article referred to Lemuel and his son.  It seems likely that the son was Eveline’s son Thomas.  However, no name was given and no children were with them by 1895. 

In The News

In December 1894, Lemuel added a new kitchen to their home.

February 1895 brought a cold snap to the area.  During the cold weather, a fire started at Lemuel’s home.  Fortunately, it was quickly noticed and able to be put out before it did any serious damage.

In February 1896, Lemuel joined the Buffalo Glee Club.  No idea that he could sing and maybe he couldn’t as I only saw one mention of that activity.

In April 1896, Eveline was talking about getting a bicycle.  As a result, the reporter thought the Lowe neighborhood where Lemuel and Eveline lived was becoming quite metropolitan.

The fall of 1898 was quite a busy time.  Lemuel made 400 gallons of sorghum molasses, which he placed for sale.  He was also one of several men providing feed to Comes and Bradley’s 750 head of cattle.  He must have made a bit of money that fall since in November, he bought a new harness and new furniture.

Parties

The year 1899 was full of birthday parties.  On April 12, some of Lemuel’s neighbors surprised him with a party.  Everyone got their fill of cake.  Then on Eveline’s birthday, a group of 44 gathered to celebrate with oysters, crackers, and cake.

Construction And Destruction

The year had brought many other happenings.  In May, Lemuel built a new room for Billy Post.  However, May 22 brought destruction when the worst hail storm that people in the area could remember hit the area.  On top of hail damage to crops and houses, the storm also brought torrential rain.  Lemuel had one “window light” broken, but others were not so lucky as they had many more broken.  I assume a “window light” was another name for a window pane.

The summer brought work in the blackberry patch, selling hogs at the nearby town of Wauneta, and the purchase of two shoats (young pigs).

Company

Meanwhile the fall of 1899, brought company to Lemuel and Eveline.  Andrew came for a 10-day visit.  Other than Eveline’s son Thomas, he is the only child of either one that I have found a record of visiting them.

Allie Moody

While living near Sedan, Allie Moody, the young son of Allen J.Moody, lived with Lemuel and Eveline.  How this came about is unknown.  However, both families were relative newcomers to the area, they lived in the same area, and Allen’s wife had died.  Thus, I suspect Allen needed someone to care for his young son.

The first time, Allie is known to have stayed with Lemuel and Eveline was around Christmas 1899.  Both Allie and his older sister Roxy, who was on vacation from school, stay at the McCracken house.  It was around this time that their father gave Lemuel and Eveline a silver syrup pitcher.  I wonder if this was payment or gift for taking care of the children.

In 1899, Roxie had stayed with different families and attended school in Elgin and Sedan. However, at the time of the 1900 census, Allen and Roxie, who was a teenager, were living nearby with the Baker family.  It isn’t clear why Allie didn’t also live there.  It may have been an issue of money or space given the Baker family had several boarders. 

 Allen still made sure to see Allie often – even when he was wanted by the law for an altercation with another local man. 

The Altercation

The issue with the other man arose when the other man was questioned by the father of some girls about coming to the wagon they were sleeping in one night.  That man said that it wasn’t him and claimed he spoke to the girls and they said that it was Allen Moody.  This story got out and Allen was quite upset at being accused.  The other man claimed that one day Allen assaulted him and tried to kill him.  It took the sheriff some time to locate Allen although he would sneak in to visit his son.  Not sure if he visited his daughter or not.

Despite no witnesses, Allen Moody was found guilty and charged $10 plus costs.  A portion of the costs were for witnesses to testify.  Lemuel and Eveline were paid $5.15 each to testify, which seems like quite a sum for 1901.

Allen Moody, however, didn’t have the money to pay the fine and costs.  Thus, he remained in jail.  Before he was released, Allie, who was age 4, died at Lemuel and Eveline’s home of croup (laryngotracheobronchitis). Losing his son after losing his wife in July 1899 and being jailed must have been quite a blow to Mr. Moody. 

Life is Changing

1900 started off with lots of activity at the McCracken household.   Early in the year Lemuel was suffering from sore eyes. And, then Little Allie died in their care. With his dad in jail,  Allie’s funeral appears to have been left to Lemuel and Eveline to arrange.  It was held in their home.  No burial location has been found for him, which may mean that the little boy was buried on their property.

After the Moody incident and death of little Allie, Lemuel and Eveline weren’t in the news quite as often.  However, they remained well known in the area.  They were even known in Sedan as in 1903 the notary indicated that they were personally known to him when they filed a Quit Claim Deed providing property to Benson Layson. 

Oil and Gas

The 1900s brought people wishing to lease land for oil and gas exploration to the area.  In 1904, Lemuel leased the gas and oil rights on his property to AW Cole and Stanley Bowers, who were in business together.  He received $20 up front.  The lease provided various rights and payments depending on if the company drilled and what they found.

Moving On

And, 1905 seemed to bring the last of Lemuel and Eveline’s out of town visitors in this location when Eveline’s son Thomas Rhodes and family visited for 3 weeks that April.  And, in September, Lemuel took his last load of kaffir corn to the local market.

October 20, 1905 was the last big party at Lemuel and Eveline’s Chautauqua County home.  That day they held a “social hop” for some of the young people in the neighborhood.  Apparently, that wasn’t supposed to be the last big party.  However, when people showed up for a party at their house right before they thought they were heading to their new home, they found them missing from the property.  It seems they may have headed out for their new home and missed their own party.  I sure wish that that article was more readable and we could know for sure.

Of Note

Lemuel was referred to as Daddy McCracken or Uncle McCracken quite often.  I suppose it was because of his age since none of his kids lived there.  So, it isn’t like others were calling him that unless it was due to little Allie living with them.  On the other hand, perhaps it was just a friendly gesture or one used when the author couldn’t remember a person’s given name.  On at least one occasion, I saw Eveline referred to as “Aunty.”  I guess it was just a folksy way of talking about neighbors in the Lowe and Rogers neighborhoods.

Lemuel & Eveline (Donley) McCracken. The photo was taken by J.C. Avery of Sedan.  He was in business the entire time they lived in the area, but I am guessing the photo was taken during the first five years they lived there (1893-1897).  They likely traded for the photo as the photographer frequently advertised that he would trade photographs for hay, wood, and corn.

Remaining Mysteries:

  • Did Lemuel and Eveline live in Bates County the entire time prior to moving to Chautuaqua County?
  • Why did Lemuel and Eveline move to Chautauqua County, Kansas?
  • How did Allie Moody come to live with Lemuel and Eveline?
  • How did Lemuel and Eveline know the Porcupile family?
  • What was the story with the Quit Claim Deed to Benson Layson?

Related Discoveries

  • Many mentions of Lemuel and Eveline in the local newspapers. This location was the only one where they were regularly mentioned in the newspaper.
  • Photograph of them was taken at Sedan
  • The entire story of Allie Moody living with Lemuel and Eveline.
Chautauqua County, Kansas Map 1903. Source: www.kansasmemory.org

Green – Lemuel’s property

Yellow – Known associates of Lemuel

Tan – Where A J Moody  boarded

Purple – Post offices associated with Lemuel

The Twins

Lemuel and John

Lemuel McCracken and John McCracken

John McCracken, not to be confused with the John McCracken that people mistakenly believe is Lemuel’s father, was born in 1811 in Washington County, Tennessee.  Although both families have ties to Pennsylvania, no connection has been found between the two families.

Lemuel’s Last Years

Near the end of October in 1905, Lemuel and Eveline sold their property to Mort Christman for $300.

There are indications that they moved back to Missouri.  However, it appears that they actually moved to near Farlington. 

Andrew appears to have looked after them until Lemuel was hospitalized at the state hospital a month before his death.  The family said that Lemuel was sent to Osawatomie because he was hard to handle.  Meanwhile, the newspaper said that he was adjudged insane by two doctors and the case was presented at the Probate Court on January 18, 1910.  However, the Crawford County Probate Office claimed they had no records for Lemuel for any date.  I even had then check several spellings and the name Samuel.

After Lemuel’s Death

In 1910, Eveline was with her son Thomas in Texas.  However, in 1912, Eveline received aid from Crawford County that was given to people who were poor.  Then, in 1916, an article indicates she had been in Crawford County.  It is unclear if she was still living there or if she had just recently been there on a visit.  One of her descendants claims that she lived with Andrew McCracken between 1916 and 1918, but that remains to be proven.

It is also believed that she may have also spent time with her other children.

Nothing about Eveline or her children were found in any McCracken family papers with the exception of the photograph of Lemuel and Eveline.  We had only a small one.   However, multiple larger originals were passed down in Eveline’s family.

 

Remaining Mysteries:

  •  Where are the court records regarding Lemuel’s hospitalization at Osawatomie?
  • What was Lemuel’s issue that had him declared insane? 
  • Did Eveline live with Andrew and family?
    • While Lemuel was hospitalized?
    • For periods of time after Lemuel died?

Related Discoveries

  • Postcard acknowledging Lemuel’s death showing a relationship to Quincy, IL and L.F. McCracken.

One Church, So Much Family History

Posted on by FHadmin

 

 

Churches provide a space where anyone is free to wander in and join the congregation. They also often provide space for activities – some church actives, some for the community, and some for specific families. In addition, the church records often contain a wealth of genealogical information. 

 

History With Churches

Both my husband’s family and my family have extensive relationships with churches of various denominations.  A few years ago, we had the opportunity to attend the 250th Anniversary of Old Pine Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It is rich in both American history and the history of my husband’s family. 

Rod’s ancestors signed the call for Reverend Duffield in the early days of the Old Pine and his 7th great grandfather was the first sexton of the church.  However, as family members died and moved west, the association with the church ended. Read more about Old Pine.

 

Arthur & Margaret (Ronald) Thomson

Chartering A Church

The association with the Palmyra Presbyterian Church in Palmyra, Nebraska, however, has lasted the entire time the church has been in existence.  And, next year, the church will celebrate its 150th Anniversary.  The main celebration planned for May 4, 2025 with other events throughout the year.

 

The association with the church began when my husband’s 3rd great grandmother Mary (Gourley) Ronald, his great-great grandparents Arthur Reid and Margaret (Ronald) Thomson, and Margaret’s brother William B. Ronald became charter members.  They made up one third of the charter members of the small church.

 

Mary (Gourley) Ronald

Roles in the Church

Members of the family are still active in the church today.  Over the many decades, members of the family have served as church officials, teachers, participated in women’s groups, participated in Bible School, been elders, etc.  For instance, George Thomson served as an elder and in 1941 Arthur Klinefelter “Art” Thomson was a member of the church board.

Music is also an important aspect of a Presbyterian Church.  Local music teachers provided recitals at times in the church.  In 1937, Alma Thomson was one of the students who performed in the recital.  Arthur K. Thomson’s wife Verna (Wall) Thomson was also known to sing at church events.  In more recent years, Emma (Bremer) Faulkner sang in the church choir.  However, I am sure many others in the family were involved in providing music for the church throughout the years.

 

Life Events

Funerals

When asking a family member recently about who in the family that had passed had their funeral held at the Palmyra Presbyterian Church, the answer was, “Everyone!”  Well, that was an exaggeration, but was on the right track.

Of the charter members, funerals were held in the Palmyra Presbyterian Church for Arthur Reid Thomson and his wife Margaret.  It likely that Mary Ronald’s funeral was also held there as she died at their home.  However, given that she died before 1900, it is also possible that the funeral was held in the home.  William B. Ronald died at York, Nebraska and was buried there.                       

Over the years, various family members funerals were held at the Palmyra Presbyterian Church.  Just a few in the following generation include Arthur Reid and Margaret (Ronald) Thomson’s children: Mary A (Thomson) Orrison, and Herbert James Thomson.  Additionally, Flora Marion Bunten, granddaughter of Mary Ronald through Mary’s daughter Jane Ronald and her husband William Bunten had her funeral at the church.

In the next generation, a few whose funerals were held at the church include: George Thomson, Alexander Thomson, and Arthur K Thomson.  Funerals of family members continue to occur in later generations.  For instance, Sandra (Thomson) Stickney, and Sandra’s grandson Alexander Thomson.

 Judge Sharpless Klinefelter’s funeral was held at the church only days after his 100th birthday party was held there. In addition, there were funerals for those who married into the family.  A few of the spouses are: Blanche (Klinefelter) Thomson, Donna (Van Allen) Thomson, Verna (Wall) Thomson, and Kenneth Leith (husband of Virginia Thomson).

Members of the family also served as pall bearers and in other capacities for many other funerals for family, friends, and neighbors.

 

Marriages & Baptisms

Thomson-Helm Wedding

Palmyra Presbyterian Church was also the scene of many happier occasions, such as, marriages and baptisms.

Thomson-Bremer Wedding with parents of the couple

In the early days, many of the marriages were held in the bride’s home.  However, over time marriages in the church have become more common.  Some of the weddings at Palmyra Presbyterian Church include my husband’s parents: James Thomson and Janice Helm; his sister: Jackie Thomson & Duane Bremer, and his niece: Emma Bremer and Zachary Faulkner.  His aunt Rachele also married in the church as did Georgia Faye Thomson, daughter of George and Viola (Lanning) Thomson.

Rachele (Thomson) Newbury’s children Clayton Johnson and Paul Johnson were just two of the many family members baptized in the church.

My husband’s mother’s family, although not living in Palmyra, even had a marriage at the church when Arlin Reuter, a cousin, married Lucy Ann Ikenberry, a local woman, at the church in 1963.

 

A portion of an article about the 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration of George and Jessie (Bunten) Lanning. Source: Lincoln Journal Star, Feb. 11, 1951.

Other Events & Celebrations

The church was a gathering spot.  As such, it was used not only for church events, but also for family and community events.  One of most unusual events was a lard making demonstration.  That wasn’t something I would expect at a church.

More traditional events that have been held at the church are the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for George and Jessie (Bunten) Lanning, which was celebrated with 150 people.  Their marriage was likely a much smaller event being held at the Bunten homestead in 1901.  A reception for my husband and me was even held at the church after we married in my home state.

Birthdays or other family celebrations were also held at the church.  Besides Judge Klinefelter’s birthday party, a 65th birthday and retirement party was held for Janice Thomson in the basement of the church for both family and community members.

Likewise, church functions sometimes took place at one of the Thomson residences.  For instance, in 1898, the Sunday School Picnic was held in Arthur Reid Thomson’s grove. 

 

 

 

Have info about the Palmyra Presbyterian Church?

If you have information about the history of the Palmyra Presbyterian Church or know of descendants of any of the charter members (especially those not related to this particular family), please share with the 150th Anniversary celebration planning committee.  Do so by contacting Jackie Thomson-Bremer.  If you don’t have her contact info, contact me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charter Members

Mary DeCou

W J Dougall

Emma Dougall

William Dunlap

Jane Dunlap

Robert Dunlap

Moriah McGonigal

Elsie Smith

Mary (Gourley) Ronald

William B. Ronald

Margaret (Ronald) Thomson

Arthur Reid Thomson

The End of Three Lines

Posted on by FHadmin

 

Passco “Pat” R. Peelle was the last Passco in our family line, the last standing Peelle in our family line, and drove the streetcar to the end of the line.

 

Uncle Pat

To me Uncle Pat, great-uncle actually but we never made that distinction, was always an old man.  Everything about him was old.  He looked old, smelled old, and had old things.  I remember visiting his home and feeling very uncomfortable, not because Uncle Pat and his wife Aunt Verda weren’t nice to us, but because everything was old.  Not a lot seemed to have had a lot of care given to it.

Despite the fact that he looked a bit rough around the edges, he always had a loyal dog or two by his side.  And, I can’t remember him being unkind to anyone or anything.

 

Conversations

After his oldest sister Lydia died, my Grandma, another sister, inherited Lydia’s house.  Uncle Pat, whose wife had also died, moved in with Grandma for a while.  Interestingly, I don’t remember having a single conversation with him.  However, my sister remembers one conversation with him where he told her about an acquaintance of hers coming up to him at the filling station in Arcadia where he hung out and asking if he was related to her.  Apparently, the acquaintance had moved to Arcadia, where he lived.

One thing I do know about Uncle Pat i that he was the one that would leak the family secrets.  His sisters definitely weren’t going to tell anyone anything bad or risque.  They might whisper to each other, but things they thought were not aligned with their upright-uptight English upbringing were not going to be spoken loud enough for a bystander to hear them. 

He was also open to telling slightly off-color stories.  I am thankful for his stories.  If he hadn’t passed on some secrets to members of the family, I would never have known things to research about some of the cousins in the Jury family (Uncle Pat’s mom’s family) to discover their stories .  Read about Rebecca and Warren.  There were probably some secrets in the Peelle family, too, however, his father William J. Peelle died when Uncle Pat was only 12.  So, he didn’t have as many years to learn all the stories of that family.

 

Pat Peelle

Last of the “Passco” Name

Uncle Pat, Passco by birth, was the last Passco in our family line.  He did have two first cousin with a middle name of Passco – Clayton Passco “Clate” Farmer and Walter Passco Longnecker.  Uncle Pat outlived both of them and none of them or any of their siblings/cousins appear to have named a child Passco.  However, neither of them were called Passco and both of them died before he did.

The name Passco was a name the family repeated often in multiple descending lines after the first known Passco Peelle, who was born in 1733 in Northhampton County, North Carolina.  We don’t know where the name Passco originated.  Some researchers believe the first Passco’s name was actually Issac and that he took on Passco as a nickname.  This is based on his father’s first will that lists him as Issac.  However, I believe the first will was in error as all the records I have found shows some form of the name Passco.  It has also shown up in records spelled Pasco, Passcow, Pashal, Pascal, etc.

For Uncle Pat, he was simply named for his grandfather whom lived with his family.  He may never have known his name went back over 160 years before his birth.

 

 

Roberta “Bobbi” and Paul

Last of the Peelle Name

Uncle Pat was the only male of his generation in our specific family line.  Thus, he was the only one in our line to carry on the Peelle name.  He married Verda (Carson) Albrecht on August 14, 1926 in Hesston, Kansas.  She had a daughter Roberta Evelyn (Bobbi) Albrecht, who Uncle Pat adopted.

It was April 13, 1929 before they would welcome their first and only child, a son, Paul Russell Peelle.  Life seemed to be going well for the family.  In the 1930s and early 1940s, the family lived in Delano Township.  It is located just to the west of Old Town on the west side of the Arkansas River. 

 

Delano

In the earlier Cowtown years, the Delano area hadn’t been very suitable for families.  It was at the end of the Chisholm Train and was full of saloons and brothels to entertain the weary cowboys.  Drinking, gambling, prostitution, and gunfights were part of life in Delano. Even bathing in the nude in the Arkansas River that flowed between Delano and Wichita was quite common.

Across the river, Wichita had laws that prohibited the vices that Delano allowed. However, in 1872, Delano did require that cowboys restrict bathing nude in the river to a nighttime activity (i.e. No running around nude during the day.)  However, the saloon maids were allowed to race nude through the streets with bets placed on who would win.  Read more about Delano @ http://historicdelano.com/HistoricDelano/history.php

By the time Uncle Pat lived there, Delano had became a part of Wichita and had settled down from the wildness in its early years.  Uncle Pat’s kids attended the O.K. School (yes, that is really its name, O.K. stands for nothing just like Uncle Pat’s middle initial stands for nothing).  It had its roots back to the 1870s just as the cattle trade was shifting to Dodge City.  Since then, it had been rebuilt and expanded multiple times.  It was by this time a regular city school with a PTA.  At one point his wife Verda served as vice-president of the PTA and he was involved with a play performed at the school.

 

Disaster Strikes

Thursday, June 12, 1941, Uncle Pat’s life changed forever when his son Paul was in horrible and bizarre bicycle-car accident.  Paul was riding his bicycle near his home, which appears to have been right by the O.K. School on north West Street, when the accident occurred.  The driver of a car had chains wrapped around his front bumper.  Somehow, they loosened and the driver’s side front wheel became entangled in the chain causing the car to veer to the left.  The car hit Paul’s bicycle head on at approximately 40 m.p.h.

Paul was rushed to St. Francis Hospital, which was about 4 miles away with critical injuries.  Both his legs were broken and he had internal injuries.  He died the following night.

It is said that Uncle Pat lost his interest in life and drive to achieve after he lost his only biological child and the only one who could carry on the family name.  At the time of Paul’s death, Uncle Pat was working as a pressman for Inland Printing, a position which he had held for at least 15 years.  He seems to have left that job later in 1941 or in 1942.

In the years following, the family was back and forth between Wichita and Arcadia in Crawford County, Kansas for several years before settling in the Arcadia area.  I assume depression and/or a desire to leave the city that reminded the family of their loss drove them to leave Wichita.  I do not, however, know what  attracted them to Arcadia.  It wasn’t a great distance from his sister Nellie.  Yet, it wasn’t a logical place to live if he wanted to be near her.

The remaining years of his work life were spent primarily as a farmer and a miner.

 

The Key

Key from a Wichita streetcar used by Pat Peelle

Sometime during his time in Wichita, Uncle Pat drove a streetcar.  It is unclear exactly when he drove it or how long he was a streetcar driver.  However, it was likely in the first half of the 1920s unless he had a second job while working at the printing company.  This is possible as he is listed in one city directory as both a pressman for Inland Printing and as a clerk.

The  Wichita Railroad & Light Co.,  had a streetcar system in Wichita.  Uncle Pat could have worked for them.  Since I haven’t found proof of the company that employed him, I speculate that it wasn’t the streetcar system within WIchita that hired him.  Instead, it seems likely that he was working for the Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway.  It was considered an electric streetcar.  However, it traveled between Wichita, Newton, and Hutchinson.

Why do I think Uncle Pat worked for the latter company?  His wife Verda lived in Newton for about 15 years when they married.  After she divorced her first husband, who had abandoned her and their daughter Roberta, Verda worked at Anderson’s Bookstore in Newton.  It seems likely that he could have had a break while in Newton and wandered into the bookstore or had some other chance meeting.  This is very likely given the rail station was at 5th and Main and the bookstore was at 422-424 Main.  Of course, it is also possible that they met when she took the streetcar into the city (Wichita).

The streetcar key looks completely different than an automobile key and has a totally different function.  It didn’t turn on the streetcar.  Instead, it was used when the streetcar got to the end of the line to reverse direction of the streetcar.

Land, Sea, and Hair

Posted on by FHadmin

 

This story starts with a Seaman’s Certificate and ends with orphans, “servants,” George Washington’s hair, and a body donated to science. 

 

The Certificate

Some time back I discovered a Seaman’s Certificate for Samuel McGinley.  It was signed by Margaret McGinley, which was odd as the certificate was clearly set up specifically for a man to sign.  It was 1814 and women didn’t often sign legal documents.  However, Samuel’s father Captain John McGinley, who served as superintendent of blacksmiths during the Revolutionary War had died ten years earlier.  Thus, Margaret McGinley, nee’ Hurrie, certified her son as a U.S. citizen. 

The U.S. Congress had passed an act in 1796 to create the protection certificates to protect merchant seaman from being pressed into service by the British.  They had become very important during the War of 1812. Certification by a sworn statement was the most common proof used to get a Seaman’s Certificate.  However, a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or other official record could also be used. 

From this we can assume that Samuel traveled outside the coastal waters of the United States.  However, nothing is known about his life on the sea.

 

The Marriage

The next record for Samuel is his marriage on February 23, 1814 to Jerusha McCann in Charleston, South Carolina.  Jerusha was the widow of Edward McCann, who had died in 1809.  Her maiden name is unknown. 

Besides a wife, Samuel gained a step-daughter Mary Ann Louisa McCann.  Mary Ann was not in the household long, as she married Samuel W. Wilcox just over four years later.

Edward’s will mentions no other children.

 

The 1820s

In 1822, Samuel was listed in The Directory and Stranger’s Guide, for the city of Charleston as a carpenter living at 74 Market Street.  However, by 1824, it stated that his occupation was “boarding house.”  It did not specify if he managed a boarding house or owned one.  However, it listed him at the same address that he was living at in 1822.  Neither of these jobs seemed aligned with his previous job on the sea.

 

1830s

In the 1830 census, Jerusha is listed as head of the household with a girl between 15 and 19 years of age living with her.  The relationship to this girl is unknown and she doesn’t show up in any other records with Jerusha and Samuel.  There were also three male slaves or servants, as Samuel referred to them, in the household.

Samuel was absent.  Possibly he was traveling or working away from home.  Five years later he is listed at 17 Price’s Alley.  In that record, he is again listed as a carpenter.  Thus, it isn’t exactly clear as to his occupation.

 

1840s

In 1840, Samuel and Jerusha are living in a household with two male slaves and two female slaves.  The following year their son-in-law Samuel W. Wilcox, who was an accountant, died.  Samuel petitioned to be the administrator of his estate, indicating that he was his son-in-law’s biggest creditor.

 

Travels

In 1845, Emma of Philadelphia came to visit Samuel.  It is unclear who this woman was.  No woman named Emma has been identified in Samuel’s family during that time period.  However, during the 1840s Samuel took several trips to Philadelphia via boat.  It is possible that Emma’s visit was in some way related to those trips.

Summer of 1849

In 1849, Samuel agreed to purchase Gibbes & William’s Mill from the city.  However, soon after, he filed a request to be released from the agreement.  He offered $100 in exchange for the release.  He stated that unexpected difficulty had arisen and he would not be able to meet the requirements of the deal with the city.  The city decided that the mill, which they described as at the west end of Tradd Street, should be sold as soon as possible.

It would seem most likely that the issue was one of money.  Earlier that same summer, Samuel was one of several members of the grand Jury that requested pay for being on the jury.  At the time, men selected for duty on the jury were compelled by law to serve up to three weeks, depending on the business of the court, without compensation.  The group argued that other courts paid those who were required to serve.

 

Properties Associated

with Samuel McGinley

Charleston 1849. Source: https://www.sciway.net/hist/maps/mapscharleston.html

 

The map highlights approximate locations of properties associated with Samuel McGinley. In many cases, the exact address has not yet been identified.

Pink – Locations that Samuel owned, advertised, or said that he was located.

Green  – It marks Broad Street as Samuel requested that an unplanked portion be planked.

Orange – Orphanage

Note: There are two pink indicators that have a “?” on them.  This is because there are two different Bull Streets and the reference to that street did not have a specific address.  Thus, I marked both areas.

1850s

In 1850, Samuel was 64 and his wife Jerusha was 71.  By this time, Samuel had accumulated $1200 in real estate and his wife owned $3600 of real estate.  It is assumed that she inherited these properties from her earlier husband Edward McCann. 

James Hynes, a boatman of Scotland, and his family were living with Samuel and Jerusha in their home on Price’s Alley.  They also had four female slaves ranging in age from 38 to 65 and seven male slaves ranging from 8 to 64.

 

Jerusha’s Death

Two years later, Jerusha died, leaving her entire estate to Samuel.  Although no record of her daughter Mary Ann Louisa (McCann) Wilcox’s death has been found, it is assumed that she must have died by 1842, as that was the date of Jerusha’s will.  Otherwise, one would expect her to have received something in her mother’s will.

 

Trips To Philadelphia

During this decade Samuel continued to make trips to Philadelphia with at least one trip to New York.  Sometimes he traveled on steam ships, such as, the Osprey, Columbus, and James Adger.  Other times it was a brig, such as, the Cohansey and Paul T. Jones.  However, sometimes he traveled on schooners like the Somers, Constitution, and Dart.

 

Upon My Death

Dying in 1857, Samuel did not live to see another decade arrive.  He had no descendants.  However, he had a very detailed will that ensured his wishes would be followed.

 

To Family & Friends

Samuel made some traditional monetary distributions to a few of his family members.  To his sister Mary (McGinley) Davis, a widow, he gave two hundred dollars per year for the rest of her life.  He gave the same amount to his niece, Maria M. (Owens) Lyons, daughter of his sister Martha.  Maria was also a widow. Oddly, he did not give money to Martha, who was also a widow.

To his friend John Dougherty, he willed $200.  Interestingly, he was listed in John Dougherty’s will with the same amount of distribution.

 

Washington’s Hair

The only personal possession that he willed to anyone was his gold ring with George Washington’s hair in it.  It is possible that it was one of the 22 rings designed for family and friends of George Washington.  If so, it would have had an engraved image of President Washington on it. See  https://artofmourning.com/george-washington-memorial-ring/ for an image and more information.

However, it is more likely it was a ring fashioned by someone else as numerous people appeared to have had rings made that supposedly contained Washington’s hair.  It seems that in his position as a general and first President of the country, memorials of George were in high demand, even when he was still alive.  Relatives, colleagues, members of the military, and others desired to have something related to Washington.  In many cases, hair was requested.  See https://www.themagazineantiques.com/article/george-washington-hair-relics/ for more information.

In either case, the question arises of where Samuel would  have gotten Washington’s hair or the ring after it was made. One possibility is that his father Captain John McGinley, who was the superintendent of blacksmiths during the Revolutionary War, had received the ring or the hair.  No mention of it is made in his will.  However, he gave his entire estate to his wife Margaret (Hurrie) McGinley.

It is possible that he inherited it from his wife.  Perhaps Jerusha’s family or her earlier husband Edward McCann’s family had some association with George Washington.  Another possibility is that he somehow obtained it from the local orphanage as George Washington had laid the cornerstone for the building of the first permanent orphanage in the new country.  That occurred on November 12, 1792, before Samuel was in the area.  However, Samuel did have some connection to the orphanage.

 

McGinley Education Fund

 

Samuel ordered the rest of his estate, including eight properties, shares of stock in two banks, his remaining slaves, and his personal items to be sold.  The money remaining after accounting for the money willed to family and friends and paying any debts was to be used to create the McGinley Education Fund. Additionally, after his sister and niece died, the money set aside to create an income for them was to be added to the education fund.  Additionally, he stated that he had or was planning to apply for his father’s military pay from his Revolutionary War service.

 

 

Public Domain. Retrieved from Wikipedia.

The trustees of the fund were to be the mayor of Charleston, the city treasurer, and the chairman of commissioners of the Orphan House of Charleston.  The trustee role was assigned to the position rather than to the people currently serving in those positions.  Thus, for example, when the city elected a new mayor, the new mayor would replace the outgoing mayor on the board of trustees.

The income from the fund was to be used for the education of “orphan children of deceased members of the St. Andrews Lodge of Masons.”  The other requirement was that the children must have been born in the country. The children sponsored would be nominated by the master and wardens of the lodge.  If there is a surplus of income it was to provide for education of orphans of other masons.

 

Caring For Elderly Servants

Samuel bequeathed his servants (slaves) Flora and Mary, who were elderly, to John Dunn.  John worked for Samuel and lived in his home.  He was also designated as Samuel’s executor.  Samuel did not feel that Flora and Mary could provide significant value to anyone and he wanted them treated humanely.  Thus, he gave John $200 ($100 each) per year to care and provide for them.  The amount was to be cut in half upon the death of either of them.  The yearly amounts expired upon the death of both servants.

 

Body to Science

Lastly, Samuel ordered that his body be given to Doctor Henry William Desausser.  He wanted the doctor to look specifically at the bones in his chest.  He had experienced what he called “complicated diseases” during his life and he wanted to see if understanding his body could lead to help for others who might experience similar issues.  Nothing is known about the physical ailments that Samuel experienced except that he died of stomach cancer.

He also wanted his body to “be skeletonized.”  And, he stated that this should be done without a cost to his estate.

 

Afterward

Samuel has so much more to his story.  The story of his ownership of “servants” is one path that needs further exploration.  His relationship with his various friends and acquaintances would be very interesting to understand.  Additionally, research of the properties that he owned could be quite interesting.  They were all over the city as shown on the map.  At least one was leased and not all had buildings on them.  Why did he make a significant number of trips to Philadelphia?  And, why did he want to buy a saw mill?

 

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